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When someone has completed rehab and overcome addiction, they journey is not over. Although addiction is an illness that can be successfully treated to allow people a happy life in sobriety, there is no cure. The majority of people go on to face challenges in their daily lives that have the potential for relapse, although many have learned effective mechanisms to protect their sobriety.

For some people, the darker and colder months of winter represent a type of depression that is connected with the changes of the seasons known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. For many people, the winter months herald the onset of this seasonal depression while for others, the spring or summer triggers the condition. SAD is generally treated by methods such as phototherapy, medications, and psychotherapy.

Addiction to drugs or alcohol is an intensely personal journey and so is rehabilitation and recovery from the illness. For this reason, people select rehab centers for different reasons in order to find the one offering programs that best resonate with them. Some may prefer the traditional approach of 12-Step, whereas others may seek holistic or complementary therapies as an alternative. Ultimately, there is no “one size fits all” approach to addiction treatment.

Ultimately, celebrities are normal folk with all the issues and problems we all experience in our lives. That said, we tend to imagine they life stress-free lives where the only decisions they have to make is which car or home to buy next. We live in a world where we still believe that money buys happiness and so there’s a widespread denial of the fact that rich and famous people can have problems too. However, the truth is far from the misconception and celebrities often find themselves hoisted in front of the public in ways they may never have expected.

If you have noticed a close friend or loved one has been behaving out of character and you suspect there may be more than meets the eye going on, what can you do? Perhaps they are drinking more than usual and to excess or they have started hanging out with different people in unfamiliar places. When you suspect someone close is becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol, it can be frightening to watch them slowly decline into the illness.

It is very often difficult for people to understand addiction in the sense that it is an illness and not a lifestyle choice. There are still many misconceptions held about the kind of people who are classified as “addicts” that are largely drawn from the way the media represents this demographic. However, with the rise of opiate-based prescription drug addiction in America, it is now very clear that addiction is a non-discriminatory disease we are all at risk of developing.

Drinking alcohol is a very common way of relaxing and socializing and is a feature of many celebrations and events. The effect it has on your mind and body, such as feeling relaxed and less inhibited is what makes you find it enjoyable. However, becoming hooked on these effects can bring dangerous consequences.

Your brain is remarkable. It regulates your body’s vital functions, helps you to understand experiences and forms your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. In order to function, it is constantly sending messages between brain cells using chemicals called neurotransmitters, something which you don’t even know is happening until perhaps you take a mood-altering substance. Substances like alcohol or drugs affect the chemical functioning of the brain to produce pleasant feelings. This makes us want to repeat the action but it is all too easy for the delicate chemical balance of the brain to be disrupted and addiction is the most obvious example of this.

How you see yourself and those around you can be significantly affected by substance abuse and the ongoing process of recovery with the self-discovery it requires can be both daunting and empowering. Forming balanced, healthy relationships with others is a positive goal of rehab but it is wise to proceed with caution. Dating as a sober person is quite a challenge, you may feel the time is right to find a supportive partner but be careful not to replace one compulsive behavior for another.

A major part of a healthy recovery from addiction is establishing positive and healthy routines and focusing on self-care. Holidays like the 4th of July bring into focus huge celebrations in the form of parades, barbecues, and parties, and in general, a day away from the norms. With it being just a few weeks away, preparing for it can be the difference between making it through without a slip-up, or not. For someone in recovery from alcohol or substance addiction, these occasions can be testing times.

Currently, there is a negative connotation associated with mental illness as well as addiction. These stigmas have been created based on years of false information and unfair judgments, and don’t have to be stood for in 2018. At CASA Recovery, we know that mental illnesses and addictions are not your fault. The only way to fight the stigma is to act with compassion towards others and not assume the worst.

When a friend or family member has an addiction, it feels impossible to find the right things to say all the time. You want to push them towards the road to recovery, but you can’t push too hard. Peruse the CASA Recovery site to learn more about our programs and how to help anyone in your life affected by addiction. Contact us today for more information, but for now here are some helpful tips on how to encourage rather than enable.

Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in the US. Our professionals at Casa Recovery are specially trained to help you with whatever addiction you may be suffering from. Prescription drugs do not have to control your life anymore. Let us find a way to break the cycle and let you live happy and drug-free again. We understand how hard it can be to seek help, and we will be with you every step of the way.

Mental Illness can be debilitating. One day you can be totally fine, but the next can seem impossible to get through. Getting treatment for mental illness can really help you to become the person you want to be or bring you back to who you were before it took over. Casa Recovery can help with your mental illness treatment. Let us help you find ways to manage your illness and improve your life.

Addiction is a disease that doesn’t discriminate and as such there is no typical alcoholic or drug addict. The level of addiction depends on many factors including any underlying mental health issues, the cause of alcohol and also more general social aspects such as educational background and age. Someone who developed alcohol dependence when they were young and didn’t seek treatment until a late age would have distinctly different needs than another who reached out for help sooner.

It is important to bear in mind that addiction is an illness that can be treated with the right medications. There are widely held misconceptions surrounding addiction that have led us to stereotype sufferers as no-hopers who have made a negative lifestyle choice. In fact, addiction is something that affects people from all walks of life and even more so in recent times, with the rise of dependence on prescription opioids.

People can grieve after any significant life change, the death of a loved one, the breakdown of a relationship or giving up a substance on which they have been dependent. What is common is a feeling of emptiness and loss and the experience of very powerful feelings. How these feelings are dealt with is of particular relevance to those in recovery. A recovering addict is particularly vulnerable to relapse when bereavement occurs and it is vitally important that they seek out help and support so as to prevent any return to substance abuse when dealing with loss in rehab.

When the use of something interferes with daily life or interpersonal relationships it can be regarded as an addiction. The portability of modern devices and the around-the- clock accessibility of social media sites can easily lead to an unhealthy amount of time being spent online. The process of recovery requires focus and the unlimited exposure to social media 24/7 and use of screens can play havoc with sleep patterns and cause constant daytime distractions.

We here at CASA Recovery value taking care of the entire person, which is why in addition to addiction treatment, we offer comprehensive options in terms of care like acupuncture, yoga, group therapy, and more. However, sometimes a big part of what’s going on in the mind of a person with addiction is a mental illness. Mental illnesses can exacerbate an addiction and make it even worse, and we here at CASA Recovery recognize and see that threat to your recovery. Even if you don’t deal with an addiction, we can help you with your mental illness. Instead of turning a blind eye to the problem, we can treat it. Read more to see how we can help:

Addiction is a tricky disorder to deal with and can affect not just the addicted but the family and friends of those around them. Specifically, the role of spouse is one of the hardest to deal with. You want them to not be in pain, but you can’t stand watching them spiral deeper and deeper into addiction. We here at CASA Recovery see and understand your pain and have tips for how to cope with this tough time in you and your family’s life.

Most of us know the general effects of drinking alcohol to excess which include difficulty walking, slurred speech, blurred vision and slowed reaction times although for most of us, these effects are temporary. The next day we may suffer the worst of all hangovers but there’s no long term damage caused by infrequent drinking unless it has become a problem and drinking to excess has become a regular feature in your life. Whereas getting drunk once in a blue moon isn’t overly harmful, prolonged and sustained abuse of alcohol can have a significant effect on the brain that can cause long term damage.

Earlier this year, the Center for Disease Control estimated that around 90 Americans die every single day from opioid-related causes. Such is the extent of the problem in the US, that there are now significant steps being taken to reduce the problem by tacking the issue of opioid addiction head on. There is a widely held misconception about drug addicts that they are from a poor background with little or no…

When you write things down, they tend to become more valid to you—and it is that principal that lies at the heart of the reason why journaling can benefit you in addiction recovery. There are multiple benefits to writing down your experiences as you go through treatment and into a life in recovery. The main benefit is that it acts as a record of your rehabilitation journey because keeping a journal is a thought-provoking…

It is an unfortunate fact that depression and addiction often go hand-in-hand. However, depression can either be a pre-existing condition to substance abuse and cause addictive behavior or it can be caused as a direct result of substance abuse over a prolonged period of time. Whatever the cause, for someone who has completed drug and alcohol addiction treatment, the symptoms of depression are very real and require management to prevent…

As with most of life’s hurdles, it is not possible to progress forwards until the past has been addressed and dealt with. When someone is struggling with addiction issues, letting go of the past and the mental or emotional scars they’ve been left with can be extremely difficult. Additionally, if someone has a history of prolonged abuse particularly of mind-altering substances, then the traumas from the past can…

When you’ve completed alcohol or drug addiction treatment and have returned to daily life, you are presented with the perfect opportunity to completely overhaul your lifestyle very much for the better. While in a drug and alcohol addiction treatment program, you’ll be armed with an arsenal of weapons to defend your sobriety and prevent relapse through consistent group and individual therapy, mindfulness…

The holidays can be a joyous occasion, but also can be filled with stress. With holiday parties, family time, and balancing work with your home life, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Here are a few tips to maintain your sobriety during these happy but sometimes difficult times.

Parties

Holiday parties are an essential experience during the holidays. It’s a great way to spend time with friends and family, and there’s food! Unfortunately, there are usually alcoholic beverages that you may feel tempted by. Don’t feel as though you need to drink to have a good time. Find some non-alcoholic eggnog and enjoy this special time with your family.…

Drug and alcohol addiction is a serious medical condition that can destroy the life of your loved one. Watching them waste away, go through withdrawals, harm themselves and others, and generally give up on life outside of their addiction is a horrible experience for anybody to go through. Here are a few tips to help your loved one get help.

Intervention

An intervention can be very effective. Letting the addicted person in your life know that people care about them and are affected by their addiction can be a wake-up call. It’s important to be gentle and make sure you consult a professional before arranging an intervention,…